FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Friday, September 30, 2011
Herald Sun
Neil Craig is Dees’ new footy chief
By Scott Gullan and Jay Clark
MELBOURNE remains confident out-of-contract captain Brad Green will re-sign with the club after the appointment of Neil Craig to its coaching panel yesterday. The Dees continued their poaching raid under football director Garry Lyon, snaring Craig on top of highly-regarded St Kilda fitness guru David Misson. Melbourne beat a clutch of other clubs, believed to include Carlton and Brisbane, to Craig's signature. He will support first-time senior coach Mark Neeld. Craig, who joins after 7 1/2 seasons coaching Adelaide, has expert qualifications in sports science and was appointed Melbourne's director of sports performance. "I am convinced through my dialogue with Cameron Schwab, Garry Lyon and the board, that the Melbourne Football Club is serious about becoming a high-performance football club," Craig said. "In Mark Neeld I see a coach who has a clear vision and I wanted to be part of this coaching group that will work really hard to give the members and supporters what they have been craving for."
The Age
Icke leaves Carlton, Dees snare Craig
By Jon Pierik
WHILE Melbourne spruiked good news in the ongoing revamp of its football department, Carlton was last night dealing with the somewhat contentious departure of Steven Icke, its general manager of football operations. Former Adelaide coach Neil Craig yesterday confirmed he would take up a new role as director of sports performance with Melbourne, rejecting bids from Richmond, Collingwood, Brisbane Lions and the Blues, and would become a key mentor of rookie coach Mark Neeld. The Demons said the new role was an ''overarching club leadership position'', with Craig to report to chief executive Cameron Schwab. The club says Craig will provide leadership, strategic direction and support in the football department, including to Neeld, new elite performance manager David Misson and general manager, player development and strategy, Todd Viney.
The Australian
Demons win the services of Craig
By Greg Denham
FORMER Adelaide coach Neil Craig yesterday severed his ties with the Crows to join Melbourne. After being wooed by Richmond, Brisbane and West Coast over the past month, Craig, 55, chose the Demons, where he will become director of sports performance in a revamped football department. And Carlton yesterday dismissed its general manager of football operations Steven Icke, who is set to be replaced by current AFL football administration manager Rod Austin, a former Blues premiership player. Icke joined Carlton in 2007 after six years at Fremantle, where he had been football manager and list manager. He was a member of North Melbourne's 1977 premiership team. In a statement from Melbourne, the club said Craig's position would provide leadership, strategic direction and management support across all aspects of the football department's performance structure, including new senior coach Mark Neeld, elite performance manager David Misson and player development manager Todd Viney.
